To respond to the impact of the coronavirus and economic crises on migrant workers, ARM is planning interventions for basic needs assistance including food and hygiene kits and advocacy to prevent evictions. We are calling for volunteers to help us in the following projects:

1- Help us pack and distribute Food & Hygiene Kits: ARM is distributing packages to migrants in need. These will include basic food staples and common hygiene products (soap, sanitizers, etc.) as well as other hygiene products needed in times of COVID-19.

Volunteers are needed to:

• Help with phone intake and assessment

• Help in transporting supplies to our distribution center

• Help in packaging

• Distribute the kits according to our distribution plans to migrant workers and families

ARM will make sure to respect the standards of social distancing and hygiene for volunteers, to avoid infection with Covid-19.

If interested please sign up through this Google form.

2- Help us stop evictions of migrant workers! ARM and Housing Monitor are collaborating on housing support in order to prevent evictions of workers. Since the lockdown, reporting on eviction threats have exponentially increased due to the inability of tenants to pay their rents. Although evictions are illegal without a court order and it is most unlikely that courts will issue eviction orders during the lockdown, in many cases landlords use extra legal measures to evict and continuously threaten the tenants. Tenants with no valid residency papers are particularly vulnerable to the threats.

It is important to note that housing rights in Lebanon are dramatically violated for all residents since subsequent governments have never put in place policies or programs for affordable housing. Moreover, a number of municipalities are taking illegal measures in closing off their municipal borders for ‘outsiders’ and not allowing newcomers to rent, which also exacerbates the housing crisis, especially for residents who decide to move to lower the cost of housing. 

Volunteers are needed to:

• Call and answer calls of migrant workers being threatened with eviction, to get all information and help set an action plan (all on the phone). 

• Document the calls using provided templates and protocols

• Gather information on buildings and landlords (in person, going to the areas, or by making the necessary contacts and research)

• Give the necessary consultation to those threatened with eviction as per drafted documents and report back to a) focal person with the cases that need intervention, b) lawyers task force

• Support larger advocacy calling on the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Justice, to stop evictions and suspend rent for Lebanese and all nationalities in Lebanon

Volunteers will be trained by the Housing Monitor and ARM on housing rights, monitoring and reporting through online forms, intervention, and more.

If interested please sign up through this Google form.

The need is growing by the day and the community needs any support they can get. 

If you know of any other initiative working in solidarity with migrant workers please include it in this form to help us enlarge our network.